homemade scones

I remember making homemade scones with my Grandpa McDonald and that memory of yummy honey and butter on those hot scones is one of my most favorites. So the other night when I had some dough rising in the kitchen and Matt suggested we fry some scones up, I got so excited! And no baked scones around here, we are frying them and enjoying it! {Since I am still trying to figure my camera out, I took the opportunity to document a night together, cause lately its not very often that we are all home together}











After Matt taught the kids to pound the dough down and flatten it, we dropped it in the oil, and watched them cook. We sprinkled cinnamon and sugar over them and enjoyed while watching Night at the Muesum. i love my family.

Men have their hobbies....

Sunday we were relaxing in the somewhat warm, but yes sunny weather, and I pulled out the computer to check blogs and look at facebook. After about two minutes, Matt starts singing a song about Facebook, {if I could remember the right words I would share it with you, maybe I will get it out again} and how he is married to Facebook now. I just laughed if off, but I started thinking is that true? I really am not on if very much, I have to give myself time limits because I have found times where I jump from creative blog to the next and start thinking of all the fun things to do, but an hour {or two} would go by and now I have taken way too much time out of my day!! So I quickly got off, and beat him up.

But later on, I was taking to my sister Connie, {sad to say but it was on facebook again, but thats because I got off before doing anything and beat Matt up, right?!} and I told her what Matt had said, she had the worlds best response... " yeah but it's just 20 minutes. and for some reason men are just not interested. that's the difference between us. And one I guess we can be grateful for. Men need their hobbies and we need our friends (and sisters...)".

That summed it up perfectly for me. We talked about the friends we never really see, but feel like we still know because of Facebook/blog pictures, and even those we don't really know. I have gotten some great ideas for things to do with my family, things to make and see how creative people in my ward are { I have to say our Ward has way too many amaxing people to be in one ward....}. We both felt some people share a bit too much info, we both weren't that brave, but it's still a lot of fun to look at...

SO in my response to Matt about his "I am married to Facebook" song, I will be debuting "I am married to: bow hunting, ice fishing, hunting, anything that has to do with the outdoors" song next week. Stay tuned. I am a really good singer.

And Con thanks for the idea, you really might find that hanging on my wall done in cross stich, but i have to find it online for making a pattern.....

Macarons.. dang cookies

So I have come across Macarons lately in the wonderful world of the world wide web, and thought you know those would be so much fun. I consider myself to be a pretty good baker, its one of the few things that I have more confidence in and feel that I really can't mess up too badly. I attribute that to working at Gygi's and helping to solve others problems that they have, so of course I have to try things out to help problem-solve. Bakerella put them on a stick, which I thought would be a great idea for Candace's shower favor.

That was until I came across the Macaron. Its not the coconut cookie type, but a fluffy Meringe based cookie-no flour, just egg whites, sugar (lots of sugar), almonds, and some flavor and color. Simple i thought.

I had the right supplies, my food processor, mixer and of course my silpat. LOVE LOVE LOVE that thing, if you do not have one, come chat with me. Nothing, I repeat Nothing, sticks to it. The bake cookies perfectly and makes clean up the best!

I carefully piped out the cookies all to the right size, I had such high hopes for the dears at this point.

After resting for about 20 minutes, they started to lose their shine and look a little dull, exactly what was suppossed to happen.

I tried 4 different batches, each turned out SO differently.... the pistachio turned out best but still not, I repeat NOT, what they were supposed to be.

Although they were not what I was expecting, they tasted really good, pistachio, orange cream and strawberry. So I filled them up, with chocolate ganace and mango ganache and served them anyways.......

Didn't seem to stop anyone unless they knew they were suppossed to look like this:

Dang that bakerella and all those other bloggers out there who made it look so easy. I will attempt again, and maybe master the macaron. Until then.... check this ladies out, they are much much better! Bakerella
and Happy Hour

I really tried out both recipes, the Happy Hour recipe was the best but that could be that egg whites hate me. Try them out have fun and if all else fails, go see Romina {i love her} at Les Madeleines.

She will make your heart melt with her delicious treats.

Candi Andi's Babyshower

My little sister Candace is having a baby. We are so excited, the end of April cannot get here soon enough. She is having a girl, and might {if we can convince Grant that it is not a dog name} name her Josie. love it.

We had a fun family shower, and got some pictures. I had a sleeping Milo in my arms and didn't get many pictures but we had a great great time. Thank you to all the family that made it, we have a wonderful family that supports us in so many ways. We love you all!

Ellen and Chloe

Lynn and Grandma Foote

My best friend Ella Grace.

What's a baby shower without a quilt? Thanks Grandma Foote, you are the best! Seriously, this lady can do anything. If it has to do with food, fabric, a garden, and a home, she can do it { and so so so much more!}

I love her hands, they tell such a story!

Apparently someone made Staci sad....

...And Saige? Must have been me.... oops.

So many fun and great presents! Just what this babe needed!

Sometimes boys come {in the form of our Dad and Grant ~the soon to be Daddy}!

Candace and Ella, funny girls!And what would a true McDonald Party be without FOOD! We love everything about it! Connie you are amazing, you do such good work!

Even Ella loves the treats, sorry Bonnie, that is how we are such good best of friends.


Thanks to everyone again, I just realized we got pictures of NO ONE but us {mostly because Milo woke up at the end and then I had time to take them, sorry} but we had fun being with our family!

Love you Candace and Grant and Babe. We cannot wait to see you!

Happy Green Day

Happy Green Day! {Saige has a hard time remembering "St Patrick's Day" So she shortened it to Happy Green Day!}

Last night we told her that leprechauns might come during the night and surprise her. She would not fall asleep, she made sure her room was spotless, and since her walls are already green that her room would be ready for the leprechauns when they come. { secretly i was so excited for her, I love her excitement with all things!}

I guess you can blame my Mother for this, but Holiday's were fun and a big deal at our house, and its is something I will always remember as a child so OF course we are passing fun holiday things with our kids.

Last night our house was visited by Leprechauns that made footprints all over our house, across pictures, the fridge, the mirrors and glass doors. Saige could not believe he made it all over and no one heard or saw him! Along the way he must have had a hole in his bag cause he dropped gold coins EVERYWHERE!

He must have helped himself to our food, as our milk some how turned Green!

He then sent us on a wild chase to try and catch him in our house with a fun message on the mirror...

Our Stops:

After a long and tiring search, with several stops to eat the chocolate in the gold coins ~mostly for Milo~ we made it to the end

No Leprechaun but we found our GOLDEN TREASURE!!!

Hope everyone has a great St.Patrick's Day, we have a fun filled day of making sugar cookies, and maybe spending some time with our Mimi, and hopefully take advantage of the nice weather out there! And hopefully getting Milo away from all the chocolate......